“Leave!” Peter barked, ignoring Wendy’s voice. He glared at Belle. “I can’t even look at you!”
Her green eyes flooded with unshed tears, and then she turned and bolted into the woods. A mixture of regret and anger welled inside Wendy as she shivered and dripped onto the pavement.
Peter turned and shouted at the men, “I want you to prepare a room for Wendy. This will be your punishment. Choose the best room and fill it with every comfort you can find. It’s the least you can do after greeting her like barbarians.”
Wendy shivered, wishing someone would get her a towel.
When the Lost Boys only nodded, Peter shouted, “Move!”
They scattered into the enormous glass home, and Peter snatched a towel from a lounge chair. Wendy’s teeth chattered as he wrapped it around her trembling shoulders and pulled her close.
“You’re freezing.” The heat of his chest was too warm to reject, so she nestled closer to him. He hooked a finger under her trembling chin and lifted her face. “I think you’re in shock. Fair warning, I’m not above taking advantage of your vulnerable state.”
Leading her to one of the lounge chairs, he pulled her onto his lap. Despite the tropic-like humidity and the press of his warm body, she couldn’t stop shivering.
“You’ll never get warm in sopping wet clothes. We should take these off.”
Perhaps she was in shock because she didn’t object when he peeled off her robe. Her nipples stabbed through the transparent silk of her nightgown, and Peter lifted a brow. “I can see every inch of you, Ms. Darling.”
She moved to cover her breasts, but he caught her wrist.
“Don’t.” Leaning forward, he closed his mouth over the turgid tip of her breast and bit gently through the wet fabric.
“Peter—”
“Let me.”
He had no authority over her, yet she obeyed. He pushed her arms down and stared at her body as if he owned her, pulling the thin strap off her shoulder and peeling the material away from her chest to expose her nipple fully.
“That’s better.”
He reached forward but stilled when the sliding door opened. Wendy jerked the towel over her chest.
“Room’s ready,” one of the men called.
Irritated by the disruption, Peter stood and held out a hand. “Come. Once we get to your room, we can get you out of that wet gown.”
Chapter 5
Moonlight Reflections
Once again, Peter’s mercurial moods were giving her whiplash. Since arriving in the Never Lands, he’d acted like a hyper teenage boy, lost his temper, banished Belle, and groped her. Wendy had no clue which version was the real Peter. Perhaps they all were.
As they entered the house, she shivered under the central air pumping through the vents. The house smelled of freshly washed linens, furniture polish, and something deliciously masculine with a touch of earthiness.
The men anxiously awaited. “Which room?” Peter asked, his tone impatiently curt.
The twins pointed to the left, and Peter took her arm, hauling her that way. Her bare feet slapped noisily on the porcelain tile as she rushed to keep up.
The nervous one who spoke up at the pool apprehensively rubbed what she suspected was a lucky rabbit’s foot. “I’m sorry we threw you in the pool, miss Wendy. We were only playing. If we knew you couldn’t swim?—”
“Tate!” Peter snapped, and the man silenced.
Shocked by Peter’s rudeness, she yanked her arm free and touched Tate’s hand that rubbed the rabbit’s foot. “It’s okay, Tate. It was a misunderstanding, that’s all.”
He looked instantly relieved, then bashful as he smiled. “You forgive us, then?”
“Enough.” Before she could answer, Peter tugged her into the room.
